Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

AQA A-level sociology - Research methods > The research process and PET factors > Flashcards

The research process and PET factors Flashcards

1
Q

what are the two types of data

A

qualitative
quantitative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is qualitative data

A

linguistic data - gives depth and detail

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what is quantitative data

A

numerical data - can be organised into depth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what are the two sources of data

A

primary
secondary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is primary data

A

collected by sociologists themselves for own purpose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what is secondary data

A

collected by someone else which sociologists may use

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what is a correlation relationship

A

when one situation occurs, another tends to do as well

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what is a casual relationship

A

when one thing causes another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what is the definition of reliability

A

about consistency and getting the same results on repeat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the definition of validity

A

about how accurate something is to what you intended to study

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what is the definition of representativeness

A

if the sample which is used for the research represents the whole population being studied

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what is the definition of generalisability

A

the ability to apply findings to the wider population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the two theoretical approaches to research

A

positivism
interpretivism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what is the positivist approach to research

A

see sociology as a science and want to find social facts to improve society
prefer quantitative data and to be objective = researcher should remain detached and not allow personal opinions to impact research
macro = large scale data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is the interpretivist approach to research

A

sociology is not a science
micro= small scale data and want to understand meaning
prefer qualitative data and want to the researcher to be subjective = opinion based, researchers beliefs and values are important within research - should not study objectively

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what is the first stage of research

A

developing aims or hypothesis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what is the definition of developing aims or hypothesis

A

hypothesis = a prediction which is tested
aim = what the researcher intends to find out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what do positivists prefer between a hypothesis or aim

A

positivists prefer a hypothesis as it is clear and looks at the cause and effect - structured and direct for research

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what do interpretivists prefer between a hypothesis or aim

A

interpretivists prefer aims as they are more general and want to understand the participants meanings , allows you to explore more

20
Q

what is the second stage of research

A

operationalising the data

21
Q

what does operationalising the data mean

A

the process of converting a sociological concept into something we can measure. can be difficult if people define the same concept differently

22
Q

what is the third stage of research

A

carrying outa pilot study

23
Q

what is a pilot study

A

trying out a version of research on a smaller sample to iron out any problems so the ‘real study’ goes smoothly

24
Q

what is the fourth stage of research

A

selecting a sample

25
Q

what is selecting a sample as a stage of research

A

the process of selecting a small group to conduct the research on

26
Q

why do we need a sample for research

A

we cannot measure the whole population so the sample should be representative as it will need to represent the whole population
if it is representative it means we can generalise it to the whole population

27
Q

what is the fifth stage of research

A

collecting data

28
Q

what is the last stage of research

A

analysing the data

29
Q

what is the practical side of researching

A

concerned with the actual doing or use of something

30
Q

what is the ethical side of researching

A

moral principles of right and wrong

31
Q

what is the theoretical side of researching

A

view of society affects views on the best method to study it
what perspective prefers it and why

32
Q

what are the practical factors affecting method choice

A

Cost
Time
Requirement for funding body
Opportunity
Access to participants - studies on hard-to-reach groups
Subject matter/ participants - those who cannot read or write may limit choice
Personal skills and training - may need certain skills for certain research eg interviews need communication
Characteristics -age, gender, ethnicity may make it difficult to access certain groups
Response rate - will people be willing to respond or take part
Getting in , staying in and getting out

33
Q

what are ethical factors affecting method choice

A

Informed consent
Deception - misleading information
Confidentiality - private information will not be shared without consent
Anonymity - researcher does not know participants
Harm - preventing physical or psychological harm
Vulnerable groups - such as children
Guilty Knowledge - when you observe illegal activities should you maintain confidentiality of your participants or report it
Power imbalance - between ‘expert’ and participant may make them feel uncomfortable
Invasion of privacy

34
Q

what are the theoretical factors affecting method choice

A

Positivists prefer methods that are:
objective
reliable
produce quantitive data
produce macro large scale data
repesentative
generalisable
Interpretivists prefer methods that are:
subjective
produce qualitative data
produce micro small scale data
produce valid data
can gain verstehen

35
Q

what is tthe research/ target population

A

the whole group we are interested in

36
Q

what is the sampling frame

A

to choose a sample you need a list of all members of the population you are interested in

37
Q

what is a sample

A

small sub-group drawn from the wider group we are interested in

38
Q

what are the respondants

A

those who consent and take part in our research

39
Q

how many type of sampling are there

A

6

40
Q

what is random sampling

A

everyone in the population has the same chance of being chosen

41
Q

what is systematic sampling

A

enables systematic selection from a list

42
Q

what is stratified sampling

A

population is split into catagories and the proportion is chosen form each

43
Q

what is quota sampling

A

determine how many people with particular characteristics are picked

44
Q

what is snowball smapling

A

a member put the research in touch with others

45
Q

what is opportunity/ convenience sampling

A

choosing from individuals who are easiest to access

AQA A-level sociology - Research methods (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions